


Raise Your Hand If You Think Someone Made an Error of Judgment Somewhere Along the Line

by anotherbuskitten



Series: At the Edges of a New Camelot [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fae & Fairies, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-10 09:50:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4387217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anotherbuskitten/pseuds/anotherbuskitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sirius is fae and banished and it changes very little in the grand scheme of things. Unless of course, the things you're referring to are Remus's understanding of fae culture or Sirius's general possessiveness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Raise Your Hand If You Think Someone Made an Error of Judgment Somewhere Along the Line

**Author's Note:**

> I've been writing an original story for my own enjoyment but to start fleshing out the universe I started writing it into the HP books. I used Sirius as the main character because I write him more than any other HP characters. This sticks closely to canon with some changes to fit what I'd changed with the universe.  
> I tried to stay in character and failed the more I got into writing it. This is now a completely different universe than the one my original story is set in but I enjoy the little bits of world-building I can explore with this.  
> (I don't world-build in other people's universes as much as I'd like because there's usually something canon I'm ignoring)  
> I'm posting this because I've written a lot of it now, not in this bit but a lot of bits parallel to PoA and later OotP, although the segue between the two is giving me trouble.
> 
> Also, it never actually had a title and I don't know why I called it something as stupid as this.

**1**

Sirius stares. He’s _interested_. He hates being interested. The last time it happened he – well –

The sword glows a reminder from her scabbard. He glares at the three boys in front of him. They have been here thrice already doing this and this time he had been horrified to discover he was expecting them.

His fingers twitch with anger and fear. They are in his forest and he is not expelling them. This is unwanted and unneeded. He does not want to keep them.

The wolf-boy could never be his anyway. He already belongs to Selene and Sirius likes Selene far too much to covet one of her children.

The other two though, they would be fair – and easy – pickings if he wished it. The boy-stag and the boy-mouse were untethered and innocent.

They could very easily be his.

**2**

The first time they meet the Forest is the fourth time they go out running.

They had just found a new clearing to the west when suddenly there were trees all around them and vines winding around their feet and –

When James wakes it’s to daylight and whistling. He feels too sluggish to move his arms and legs but he can see Remus and Peter sleeping on each side of him and he thinks they’re safe.

He tries to stay awake but the whistling takes on a lullabilic tone and he soon finds himself embracing oblivion.

Later he wakes up again, this time to a heavy fog and his friends staring at him. The whistling has stopped but he can still hear its echoes.

“Oh. I thought it might have been a dream.”

“Merlin wept, James!” Remus exclaims quietly, “You’ve been asleep _all_ day and he won’t talk unless we’re all awake.”

“Well you were asleep earlier when I awoke.” He snips back childishly. Remus glares at him. Even Peter looks unimpressed.

The whistling starts up again. A thin vine nearby starts sprouting berries, Peter plucks one off and eats it. James grimaces but Peter just passes him one with a grin; his tongue and teeth are coloured blue.

“He brings them whenever he comes by.” Remus mutters.

Just as James opens his mouth to ask who they’re talking about, his question is answered by a pale brown boy who looks only a few years older than them dropping out of the branches above them.

He lands with barely a sound; the vines and branches rising up to greet him and break his fall. The whistling starts up again.

The boy falls to a sitting position in front of them. The vines trapping them loosen a little.

“I’m glad you’re awake.” His voice is lilting, the language turned on its head and not quite fitting his lips, but he sounds genuine.

“Are you going to let us go?” Remus asks wearily. James wonders if he’s badly hurt at all; they haven’t found a rhythm yet for the full moons and there is bound to be some injury.

The boy bears his teeth in a feral grin. “I’m not keeping you.” He says firmly. “And with your magic couldn’t you burn us all away?”

The question feels like a trick but James can’t stop himself from blurting out; “Fire can react badly with different magics.” He winces in anticipation but the boy only laughs.

“Yes,” he hisses out, “But it always burns.”

The vines retreat completely from their bodies and around the clearing James can see the last rays of sunset streaming through as the gaps between trees widen.

“Shall I walk you back to your building?” His teeth seem somehow sharper than before, his eyes brighter, his voice darker.

It doesn’t occur to any of them to refuse the offer.

//

Later, and the only evidence they have of the meeting is the months’ worth of detentions and the red stains on Peter’s fingers.

**3**

Sirius hates the thought of domestication. The thought of animals being tied down; tethered and collared and owned. The thought that anything could be owned by someone else.

These boys are the closest to domesticated he has ever seen. The very definition.

They are human-born and human-wild and they keep bits of wolf and stag and rat but they are very _human_ inside. They are pre-trained and ready to be claimed.

He hates it.

**4**

“We could stay in the shack this time.” Remus says, before they could all fall asleep. The full moon is the next day and they hadn’t discussed the previous encounter once.

“Yeah,” James says, “Or we could go to the forest tomorrow and ask if he minds us being there. The way he spoke made it seem like the land was his.”

“Who does the land belong to?” Peter asks sleepily.

“And more importantly,” Remus sits up and turns to James’ bed, “How is asking for permission safer than just staying put? We’re already putting people in danger as it is.”

“He might know something that could help us. He seems the type.”

_“James.”_

“We should at least _ask_.”

“No, we shouldn’t. You might have been asleep for most of it but we were wide awake and spent a lot of time trying to get free. He could have been anywhere in the forest and those vines never moved an inch. That sort of magic needs concentration you know.”

“Come on, Moony. How do you know he wasn’t just watching the whole time?”

“What would be the point?”

“Intimidation?”

“Can you two shut up?” Peter growls grumpily, “It can’t hurt to ask but can we _please_ do it in the morning.”

//

The morning bloomed bright and early. At least it did for the three fifth years; two of whom were awoken far too soon by their third member shouting, dragging back the covers and when that didn’t work dumping cold water on top of them.

“JAMES!”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve been thinking – we should go down to the kitchens and get some food so we can have a picnic.”

“In the forest?” Peter mutters sardonically.

Remus groans, rolls over and pulls a slightly soggy pillow over his head.

“Yes! Oh, shut up Moony; you don’t really want to go back to being stuck in the shack, do you?”

“Where in the forest should we go?”

“Not you as well Peter! This is a bad idea.”

“It’s a fantastic idea.” James sings jubilantly, “Come on, come on, come on!”

“Ughhhh..”

//

In Remus’ opinion it was colder outside than it had any right to be. Ahead of him James levitates a basket of supplies and chats to Peter.

Remus did have the grace to admit that he wasn’t much of a morning person but he was usually allowed to recuperate at breakfast in the great hall.

James on the other hand was always at his most irritating in the morning. Remus could usually count on Peter to back him up but today just wasn’t one of those days. Ugh.

//

Sirius watched the boys approach him. It was uncharitable but true to think that they could have picked a better day to come. It had been alright until the sun had risen – he had been enjoying quizzing Selene on the wolf-boy but with the sun came the visions of frost and the death of the runt thestral.

It had been born late two months earlier and he’d been watching carefully, hoping it would come through the winter alive.

The funeral would be tonight. It would be best for those boys to stay indoors.

The pyre was built, as soon as the sun went down the burning would begin. He sighed and left the forest to meet the children halfway.

“You should stay inside today.” They hadn’t noticed him approach and he felt a small twinge of second-hand-embarrassment at the way they startled.

“We were coming to see you!” The boy-stag grins up at him delightedly. He smiles back and directs the grass to move them around.

“Some other day, maybe, today doesn’t work for me.” He places an arm on the boy-stag’s shoulder and pushes him back in the direction of the castle.

“How’d you do that? We were facing the other way!”

“And now you’re facing this way.”

“We’re not leaving!” He says stubbornly, “It’s early and it’s cold and we went to all the trouble of making a picnic and we want to talk to you.”

The wolf-boy huffs grumpily in the background.

“Yes.” Sirius says, “Another day, as I told you.”

“Tomorrow’s the full moon.” Pipes up the boy-rat; he had begun to shiver violently; they needed to get inside before they caught illness.

“Yes.” He agrees easily. “We can talk then if you want. I won’t trap you again; I promise.”

The wolf-boy looks at him curiously, “You don’t mind us coming back?”

“No.” His voice is a little tight now – he has not quite decided if he minds the monthly intrusions or not but they have yet to harm anyone and it is certainly not his desire to keep them cooped inside.

He can think of few things worse than not seeing the sky.

“If you want to come back I will not discourage you nor will I harm you. I only ask that you stay inside today.”

**4.2**

The funeral lingers in the forest the next night. The creatures are skittish and there is a smell of ash and bone permeating the air. Sirius is pleased when the children appear there – a distraction is welcome.

The three boys are also skittish although he is not sure if that is from the atmosphere or because they fear him. One can never be certain with humans.

The boy-stag is lagging behind the other two; unused to his four gangly legs, he trips easily and missteps the distances. It is quite odd to see a midway stag stumbling round like a new-born.

He makes sure the trees block out any path to ashy remains but otherwise allows them to go where they wish. There’s a clearing coming up soon where the unicorns have been living that he’ll have to steer them away from; the unicorns are almost as possessive as his own people when it comes to territory.

His lip curls at the thought. He still misses his home sometimes, but keeps expecting the feeling to have gone away in the morning.

No matter; he won’t think of that tonight. There are far worse fates than his.

**5**

The morning after the full-moon the three boys sat in the great hall despondently. Well James was despondent anyway; he’d been expecting something to happen in the forest but nothing had. They’d gone running as usual then gone back to the shack as usual and now they were sitting in the hall eating breakfast as-bloody-usual.

“This sucks.” He groans loudly, dropping his fork with a clatter.

“Shut up.” Remus mutters from where he was hurriedly shoving scrambled egg into his mouth like there was no tomorrow.

“Are you really not curious?”

“Really. Let’s just be grateful we’ve got away with it so far.”

“Psssh.” James waves off his concerns. That, too, was a common occurrence. “No one’s going to find out. Which is why we should make certain we can get in and out of the forest without any obstacles.”

“We should get’im inside the castle.” Peter mumbles around his toast.

“What? No we shouldn’t, don’t agree with him.”

Peter rolls his eyes at both of them. “If we get him inside the castle then his name will show up on the map. He already knows who we are so he’s got an unfair advantage.”

“That’s actually a good idea.” James says in wonder.

“Have we tried actually asking for his name?”

“Yeah, you asked, Remus, remember, that first night? The first time he came by when we were trapped you asked him who he was.”

“Yes but he wouldn’t talk until James woke up and I forgot to ask again.”

“Peter’s right!” James announces brightly.

“Of course he is; he’s agreeing with you.” Remus gives up the argument and picks up his bag. “Come on, let’s get to class – the way things are going today we’ll probably get stuck in a cupboard if we stay any longer.

**6**

“Dance with me.”

The lake has frozen over and he’s lying in the centre contemplating the children. He looks up, Selene stands above him, glittering.

He reaches up and accepts her hand, sweeping the both of them into a waltz.

He doesn’t much like winter because the plants freeze over and the animals sleep but he liked dancing with Selene so he was inclined to agree with her when she said that the ice was the best part.

They dance meaninglessly for a while, neither speaking, their feet only barely touching the frozen surface.

They are both aware the second that they gain an audience but still neither move from the dance.

Sirius breaks first, halting in his steps and leaning close to her. She’s colder than the ice below them in her own way.

“You want me to apologise.”

Her lips twitch slightly, “Only if it was truthful and it would not be so.”

“You have so many children.”

“That is not how it works. Have you never loved?”

Sirius ignores her. “I _am_ sorry. But the other two – they are his family, and,” he looks at her sadly, “They could never be yours.”

“You are a greedy man, Sirius of Camelot. Show me your sword.” She lets go of his hands suddenly, leaving him swaying and guilt-ridden.

“Show me your sword, Son of Briton, and prove to me that you deserve him.”

Sirius swallows his fear and pulls Excalibur from her scabbard. She shines in the night sky, illuminating Selene’s sad, cold smile.

She reaches out and strokes the blade.

“Well run me through, then. Me or him, and someone’s curse will be lifted.”

“It doesn’t work like that.”

“You’ve never tried.”

“I won’t hurt you.”

“She is a beautiful blade Sirius, but I am a goddess; you cannot kill me with a sword.” She stares at him pityingly. “I meant Lupin.”

Sirius flinches.

Selene laughs, crueler than usual, “He is already mine – and that includes his name.”

“It wouldn’t work.” His voice has turned hoarse.

“You are a coward and you do not know that. The sword destroys magic does it not? Why should it not work on a werewolf?”

“He’s yours.” Sirius mutters desperately.

“Oh, he does not want it.” She throws the words at him, far too flippant for someone so angry. “Run him through Sirius, and I will forgo any claim.”

“What if I hurt him?” He looks up at her mournfully, desperate to be freed of all responsibility.

“What if you do not?” She leans forward and presses a kiss to his unresponsive lips. “Or…what if you say no and he finds out?”

//

At the far edge of the lake the marauders had been joined by Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall.

They had only been able to see the forest boy dance by himself, although it was clear that he could see a partner.

The dance had ended now and the boy was standing forlornly by himself, clutching a shining sword and looking younger than ever.

The conversation, as much as it could be called such, ended and the boy sheathed the sword with practiced ease.

James swore for a fifth time since coming out as their collective breath fogged up his glasses.

When he looks up again, the boy was close enough that they could pick out the tear tracks on his face.

He smiles as he came closer.

“Well met, strangers?”

“Quite so,” Professor Dumbledore speaks before any of them can summon an answer, “And yourself?”

“I have had warmer nights.”

“Do you perhaps want to warm yourself inside? We have hot chocolate.”

The boy’s eyes linger on Remus as he nods. One hand still rests where a sword handle should show.

The short walk back to the castle and down to the kitchens was silent. Once inside however, the mood seemed to shift.

As an elf fetched them all a mug of chocolate, watched avidly by the forest boy who seemed never to have seen a house-elf before, Dumbledore considered the stranger in front of him and the reactions of his three students.

“I am Albus Dumbledore.” He speaks clearly and not-quite warmly, “And despite being headmaster of this establishment I have never seen you before.”

“I stick to the forest mostly. But lately the wolf-boy has intrigued me enough to risk stepping outside my comfort zone.”

Remus lets out a small huff of breath as he realises something, “We never told you our names, did we?”

The boy shrugs, still focussing almost entirely on watching the elf, “I would not expect nor ask it of you. Names are very private.”

“Well I’m Remus Lupin.” He reaches a hand across the table formally. The boy regards it with curiosity.

“I haven’t shaken hands in a very long time.” He says carefully as he places his hand lightly in Remus’, “And I will not give you my true name for it is a terribly private thing.”

“A name, then? Something to call you at least.” Dumbledore puts in tensely.

The boy doesn’t look at him. “Give me yours first, then. It seems less personal to you.” His lips quirk, as if recalling a private joke.

“James Potter.” James looks eager.

“Peter Pettigrew.”

“Minerva McGonagall.” Professor McGonagall looks unsure as she too adds to the collection.

They stare at him eagerly and apprehensively.

Just as they started to think he wasn’t going to uphold his end, he stands up in his seat and picks up a mug of hot chocolate from the elf coming up behind them. He looks bemused.

“And your name, if you may give it?”

The elf looks shocked enough at being addressed that she almost drops her tray. The boy takes it off her and places it on the table with care.

“Luffy is Luffy sir.”

The boy’s eyebrows knit together, “You’ve no need to call me ‘sir.’ I haven’t held any authority for many years.”

The elf swallows fearfully. “Luffy is sorry s-” The elf’s huge eyes widen as she realises the corner she has been driven into. “Luffy must go.”

“No – wait!” The boy stands hurriedly to stop her, “I’m sorry, I meant no offence, please sit with us.”

The elf stops, frozen in her tracks, but something in the boy’s voice clearly called to her for she came back up to the table and hopped up next to him muttering lowly under her breath and biting her lip.

The boy smiled widely, “I really am sorry; it’s been a while since I came out of the forest and I’ve quite forgotten how all this works. It was very kind of you to invite me inside your home.”

Remus could see something odd in his eyes now that hadn’t been there in any of their previous encounters.

Professor Dumbledore huffs meaningfully.

“My apologies again,” the boy inclines his head towards the headmaster, “My most recent name is Sirius of the Pendragon line, although I would strongly stress that I am not a Pendragon. They deserve much better even if they were willing at the time.” The last was muttered darkly.

“I would bow but, alas, my position denies it. I hope the name is satisfactory.”

As far as Remus could tell the name was quite ordinary, if a bit stately in its presentation, but Dumbledore could clearly see something different in it if his narrowed eyes and pursed lips were anything to go by.

Remus glances at his friends, who shrug, as clueless as he.

“And I would be correct to assume that you are not human?” Dumbledore asks.

“What gave it away?” His teeth seem sharper and his voice bites at the silence. “Or do you perhaps know my people?”

“Only by reputation, I’m afraid, if at least I am correct in thinking you are fey?”

Sirius laughs delightedly. “You are correct. Do you have any other questions or was it just my race that bothered you?”

“What are your intentions here, Sirius Pendragon?” The way Professor Dumbledore said his name it was clear that he was expecting something to happen.

“My intentions?” Sirius laughs again, this time much less happily, “I have no intentions save the obvious. I belong here and have done for many years. In short Albus Dumbledore; I intend to survive.”

He stands sharply from the table and glares. Dumbledore matches his anger but makes no move to stand; instead he sips calmly at his drink.

“The forest speaks kindly of you.” His hands had clenched around the table edge. “Selene less so, but Selene rarely speaks well of anyone.”

“Is Selene who you were dancing with?” Peter squeaks suddenly, clearly attempting to drag the conversation back to civility. Remus feels a rush of appreciation for his quiet friend.

Sirius’ head jerks away from Dumbledore to face him, his cheeks flushed green and his hands slowly regaining colour as he relaxed from his statue like stillness back into his seat.

“Yes. We we’re discussing the four of you.” Remus can’t help but wonder if Sirius is trying to block the professors out of this new conversation or if he is just very good at switching emotions.

“Us?” James says curiously. Remus holds his breath; if Sirius were to mention the runs in the forest or the fact that his friends were animagi everything would be ruined.

“Selene thinks I can help you.”

“Can you?” Remus says at the same time McGonagall asks,

“Help them how?”

Sirius sighs and drops his head into his hands. “Selene loves her  children very much.”

“That isn't really an answer now, is it?” McGonagall’s mouth has thinned to a slit.

“It would be if you knew her. Do you have children?” He doesn't wait for them to answer, “She asked me that earlier. I don’t of course; being banished makes it rather hard for me to meet someone I would be able to procreate with.”

He looks haggard and for the first time as though he wasn’t three sentences ahead of them in conversation. Impulsively Remus reaches across and takes his hand. Sirius stares at him in something like fear but does not let go.

He swallows and then speaks directly to Remus. “Selene believes that I can remove your lycanthropy.”


End file.
